Contact Peace Corps for event and ticket information.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009 from 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM (ET)
What is life like for gay and lesbian Peace Corps Volunteers working in developing countries? Join us for an information session and panel discussion with gay and lesbian returned Peace Corps Volunteers as they share their stories and unique perspectives. This is a great opportunity to get your questions answered in a supportive environment and to learn how you can make a difference in other people's lives...as well as your own.
Homosexuality is considered socially unacceptable or even illegal in some of the countries where the Peace Corps has programs. Moreover, Volunteers are subject to the laws of their country of service. Those realities can create special challenges for Peace Corps Volunteers, and Peace Corps has taken steps to address those challenges. During their three-month training process, new Volunteers take part in diversity training sessions, and many Peace Corps posts offer peer support networks for Volunteers. Volunteers learn techniques to manage cultural differences and are encouraged to support one another.
While a Volunteer’s sexual orientation may add additional variables to the adjustment process in-country, the Peace Corps has had numerous successful gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Volunteers who were able to overcome the challenges and serve successfully. Here are some examples:
Returned Volunteer Edwin Patout (Ukraine, 2005-07 and will be a member of the panel) said, "Being gay is a challenge no matter where you live. Becoming an active member of the GLBT Peace Corps support group was a great help. I decided that coming out was not a priority and focused instead on the challenges of just being a good Peace Corps Volunteer."
Peace Corps staff member and Returned Volunteer Kate Kuykendall (China, 1999-01) said, "Although it was sometimes challenging to balance my desire to be open and honest with the necessity to be discreet in my community, I had to consider that I was a guest in a host country and needed to respect the local values. The Peace Corps staff and my fellow Volunteers were a tremendous support in this process. My Peace Corps experience also taught me how important my sexuality is to who I am, and made me a much stronger advocate for LGBT rights both in the U.S. and abroad."
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